A couple of guys chronicle their quest to make sense of being Christians in a mad, mad world.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Pope: Christian Media's Goal Is to Educate the Mind

I thought you'd like these comments from Pope Benedict. It's a shame more Sunday preachers don't think the same!

Pope Benedict XVI knows how to handle a crowd

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 27, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The objective of the Christian media is to educate the mind according to the spirit of the Gospel, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope explained this when he received representatives of the Italian Federation of Catholic Weeklies (FISC), who concluded a congress on the theme "Catholics in Political Life: Free or Missing?"

The Holy Father began the meeting Saturday by greeting Bishop Giuseppe Betori, secretary of the Italian episcopal conference, and Father Giorgio Zucchelli, president of the FISC, as well as directors and staff of more than 160 diocesan newspapers.

He also noted that FISC is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

"The special role of the Christian-inspired social communications media is to educate minds and to form public opinion in accordance with the spirit of the Gospel," said Benedict XVI.

"Their function is to serve the truth courageously, helping public opinion to contemplate, understand and experience reality with the eyes of God," the Pope continued.

"The aim of diocesan newspapers is to give everyone a message of truth and hope, highlighting events and situations where the Gospel is put into practice, where goodness and truth triumph," he continued.

In the era of new communications technologies, the Holy Father said that the role of these Christian weeklies is even more important as they give "a voice to the local communities that are not adequately represented in the great information channels."

He told the Christian journalists: "You can reach those places where traditional pastoral care methods fail to arrive."

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In addition to my comments to your previous post, maybe there's room for a bulletin supplement/periodical if the pulpit isn't available?